Watson grabs Jayco Herald Sun Tour success as race leader cracks

Calvin Watson celebrated his twentieth birthday in some style today, the Jayco VIS Apollo rider jumping from second to first overall in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour and taking the biggest victory of his career.

He started the day fourteen seconds off the yellow jersey worn by Aaron Donnelly (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers), but climbed better than his rival on the climb of Arthur’s Seat and got the time he needed.

Watson finished 21st on the stage, 55 seconds behind the day’s winner Nathan Earle (Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisers); a suffering Donnelly was 29th, one minute 46 seconds down and slipped 37 seconds back in the final general classification. Third place went to Josh Atkins (Grays Online New Zealand National Team).

Watson was dropped from the national under 23 squad last year and said that his annoyance at that was something which fuelled him, both in his preparation for the race and also on today’s stage.

“I was fuelled by a bit of anger and disappointment at being left out of the national program, so I’m happy I can show I’m a real force in Australian cycling,” he explained.

“We came here as underdogs and we really showed the guys we weren’t here to mess around. The boys did a phenomenal job to look after me today…without them, this victory wasn’t possible.”

The twenty year old was riding the race for the first time but, being based in Frankstown, just fifteen kilometres from the finish, he knows the area well. He has been working hard in the buildup to the race, riding the final climb twice a week behind a motorbike, and so knew every corner and pitch of gradient.

“This is my backyard and you couldn’t ask for a better place to train,” he said. “I knew the climb back-to-front and I knew where I could ease off and where I had to really dig deep. I knew every corner and that really played into our hands.

“We knew we had to put Donnelly under pressure so we raced for the win…that was our tactic, and it paid off in the end because we got to the bottom (of the first climb) and Donnelly and Josh were straight out the back. We knew we had to race aggressive in the wind, so it paid off.”

Donnelly said he gave it all he could, but it wasn’t to be. “I left everything out there, I rode my heart out,” he said with some disappointment. “The boys were awesome and I couldn’t do anything more. I was beaten by a better man on the day.”

Early on, defending champion Nathan Haas (Jayco Australian Team) went on the attack in a small move and took the KOM at Borneo Road (km 12). This secured him the mountains jersey.

Soon after, a big breakway of fourteen riders went clear, including Haas’ race team-mate Stuart O'Grady, New Zealander James Oram, and Bernard Sulzberger (Drapac Cycling). This break opened a gap of one minute 47 seconds but was eventually hauled back.

Later, on the final ascent of Arthurs Seat, Nathan Earle got the nod to chase the stage win once it became clear that his Huon Salmon-Genesys Wealth Advisors team-mate Donnelly wouldn’t be able to hold onto yellow.

“The crowd’s amazing up here and it’s a stage that suited me,” he said after crossing the line for a very big success. “The plan was to look after Aaron to the base of the climb, and keep him in the best shape we could. When we got to the climb I was told just to follow not attack, the first and second time, just follow.

“It’s been a very successful tour for the team. It would have been nice to win, but we did everything we could. To get two stage wins, a second in the prologue, second overall and the sprinters jersey…it’s been a good week.”

It’s been a good week for Watson too, of course, given that he won the race outright. He said that once he realised the jersey had cracked, he gave it all he had. “When we started climbing Arthurs Seat and I looked back and Josh was out of sight, that’s when I really knew that I had to suffer those last few kilometres to make it happen.”

He did, and he as a result he took the final yellow jersey in Australia’s oldest stage race.